


The Future

by InesStarkDowney



Series: The Future [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Hopeful Ending, Hurt Tony Stark, M/M, Memories, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Sad and Happy, Tony Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-29 20:02:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10142867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InesStarkDowney/pseuds/InesStarkDowney
Summary: After the whole Germany thing, Peter is quick to spend a lot of time with his mentor, Tony Stark. And despite feeling and acting like a fanboy over his mentor, Peter is quick to find several things that he wasn't aware about Tony, simply because it's not public knowledge, like: Tony Stark is a very sad man.Peter wants to change that.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was written around a small text that I had written before, about moving on, and when I showed it to my friends, we started talking about how suited it was for Tony. The idea came out of the thought that Tony could be talking to Peter about moving on, moving on from someone that no matter how much you loved them, once you stopped being meant for each other, you had to let go. 
> 
> That small text is in the fic, it may feel a little out of place, once it's quoted but I thought I shouldn't change it. 
> 
> Once again, sorry for the mistakes that there might be.

Peter came to know the afternoons in the presence of Mr. Stark, sitting with him in his workshop that still blew Peter’s mind away. The fanboy in him danced his happy dance whenever he entered the facility and Mr. Stark was there waiting for him, anxious to talk to him about everything and nothing that went through his mind. The months he spent with the genius had taught him so many things, and one of them was that Tony Stark was a sad man.

He didn’t really get it at first. Mr. Stark was a genius, a billionaire, he could have all he wanted and he indeed had everything. Who couldn’t possibly be happy that way? However, Peter came to know that money and power didn’t replace certain things.

After a couple of visits to the facility, Peter noticed that it was always so empty and silenced. It was the Avengers’ facility and he always thought it was be loud and full of Avengers walking around, training, sleeping on the couch and drooling, eating pizza and watching some old movies like The Empire Strikes Back. The reality was so much different. Peter also came to know that Mr. Stark was always like this: alone, in that big building. From time to time he saw Vision and Mr. Rhodes, but otherwise, he didn’t see anyone.

Then Peter started to notice how in Mr. Stark’s workshop or office there were always these frames turned around or lied down. Peter was curious enough to pick them up and see them. Most of them were the Avengers all together: Clint and Natasha after a mission, all banged up but still smiling and giving the thumbs up; Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark himself in the lab, smiling and holding some sort of chemical in their hands; Thor and the Captain side by side, in their black suits, with Thor smiling broadly and Steve giving the camera this shy smile. And so many more followed those moments Peter thought were definitely special. He later came to understand why those frames were turned around or down. The Avengers did no longer exist and the memories hurt.

So Peter got used to seeing Mr. Stark just silent whenever they were working, always so far away from that place. Sometimes he stopped at something Peter said and smiled fondly at him, but always with this hint of sadness. With time, it felt harder and harder to leave Mr. Stark alone in there, knowing the man missed something he had had for such a long time.

Somehow, things got better. Peter came one day to find the redhead spy sitting in the living room couch and smiling up to him as Mr. Stark took him down to the workshop. Then it was the archer, that one day appeared behind Peter, looking at his schematics and murmuring:

"You got yourself a little genius here, Tony. You’re lucky, kid."

One morning Thor was back and he brought Dr. Banner along, to which Peter got to know better down in the workshop. He got to see Mr. Stark talking nonstop with his old friend, in a language that was still hard for Peter to comprehend. Finally, Wanda appeared and with it, Peter came to see much more of Vision that always seemed to be with the sokovian girl in these weird shirts that looked awkward on the android. Peter got to see Mr. Stark smile thoughtfully at his teammates, the family he missed so much. So now Peter saw some frames turned right, he got to see new memories being made and he was relieved. Mr. Stark could be happy now.

But it wasn’t the case. The genius still wandered around with his head down or looking outside the window in silence, obviously thinking or imagining something it was not there. Sometimes Peter knew it was memories that came back because he saw Mr. Stark shivering and taking a deep breath. More often than not, Peter came to find him next to the road that left the facility, looking at these intricate burnt marks on the grass. He saw the genius close his hands in fists and walk away. There was still some frames left to turn and when Peter tried to see what they were he just saw the Captain smiling or doing something silly. Most of the pics were taken of Cap and Mr. Stark together, both smiling at each other, obviously making memories. That’s when Peter understood it all.

Until the day he came to see all the frames turned. The facility looked like a home, with memories in each corner and Peter got to know parts of the Avengers that only between themselves they let out, like the kisses Natasha settled on Clint’s forehead, or the little hand that Vision always rested on Wanda’s back, and most important, the hand that used to be on Mr. Stark’s shoulder reassuringly. That hand always belonged to Steve Rogers. The lack of that touch suddenly didn’t seem to bother Mr. Stark.

Peter thought it weird, to see his mentor so… happy. He furrowed his brows and spoke out loud:

"Mr. Stark, has anything happened?"

"Hmmm? No, why, kid?" Tony turned to him, and Peter saw it in his eyes the calm and peace that he had never seen before. Mr. Stark’s eyes always seemed the door to his soul and now he could see pure happiness in there.

"It’s just that… You’re so happy." Mr. Stark was taken aback by the comment and arched his brow, in a silent question. "N-Not that it is a bad thing! It’s definitely not! It’s… It’s really good. It’s just that… I got to see you always so out of it, so far away, always thinking of something that is not here and just…sad. Even after the Avengers came back. But now you look… You look at peace."

Mr. Stark smiled at the kid before him and squeezed his shoulder, to which Peter shivered and looked wide eyed at his mentor. That was the same gesture that Steve Rogers used to apply on Mr. Stark.

"Sometimes you’re not meant to be, you know? Sometimes things aren’t supposed to work out or aren’t supposed to end in happily ever after. Sometimes people need to leave… Find themselves, find what they want and what they need. Because maybe they had what they wanted right in front of them, but they need something else. They need to breathe, learn to live outside that intensive war that is always going on, they need to do what they have to do. It’s never really up to us to decide what we need, unfortunately. But, you can always cling to those moments where you were meant to be. Like when you felt your insides warm up and you couldn’t really stop smiling. It’s like a curse and at the end of the day your cheeks hurt and you knew, that was a good day. One to beat all of the bad ones you would have in the future when you were not meant to be. Or those times when you really thought that was it, you were about to give yourself to him, not be afraid anymore and afterwards it would be worth it. Once again, you would wear your heart on your sleeve and he would be smiling at you, squeezing your shoulder and saying your name with fondness. Sometimes, giving a little bit of yourself to him was worth it, and in those moments, you were made for each other. You can cling on to those moments and you will find yourself smiling like a fool again. But that’s not how it ends. Because he will walk out, you know? There were good times, times of laughter, times of friendship and family, yes. He might have given you the best years of your life and you might have given him his. But there will be more – more years of happiness with different people and you will see him on the other side, with his own life and his own happiness. It might hurt as first - God, it will hurt at first. Like a bullet going through you and burning you. But in the end it’ll be worth it – all of it. Because he is smiling, and it reminds you of the smile he used to have just for you, so you know… he’s okay. It might not have worked out for the two of you, but it worked out for each of you, alone. You’re fine, you’re breathing and, suddenly, it doesn’t burn anymore.

Peter looked in silence at his mentor and genius, feeling like he just got closer to him, saw a part of him that a lot of people hadn’t seen in a very long time. Peter chuckled and looked down at his hands, realizing things, realizing it for the first time.

"Damn… I think Cap just missed his big shot. Really, that man is going to regret it later.", Peter murmured, with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He felt rested, happy because Mr. Stark was happy.

Mr. Stark smiled and shook his head, ruffling Peter’s hair a little, with fondness carved in the gesture.

"Maybe, Kid, maybe. But it’s in the past. You got to look ahead. That’s where the future lies."

Peter nodded and looked up at his mentor. Yeah, the future was what mattered, right? Peter smiled and felt safe there, at ease with Mr. Stark by his side, teaching him what had never been thought to him. Mr. Stark was giving him a chance and Peter was going to take it, and while doing it, he was going to make sure Mr. Stark got his chance as well.


End file.
